In recognition of the unprecedented scale of flooding in the Central Balkans region in May 2014 and the enormous burden of reconstruction, recovery and clean-up faced by the respective governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Murray McCully informed ministerial interlocutors during his July travels to the region of the New Zealand Government’s decision to make modest contributions to the international flood relief effort.

H.E. Dr Trevor Matheson became New Zealand’s first ambassador to the Republic of Albania, with residence in Rome, when he presented Letters of Credence to President Bujar Nishani in Tirana on 22 July 2014.

Following participation in this year’s Croatia Forum in Dubrovnik on 10-12 July, the Foreign Minister of New Zealand, Hon. Murray McCully made a bilateral visit to Montenegro on 12-13 July. The visit was the first by a New Zealand Minister to the Balkan republic where he was hosted by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Montenegro, Mr. Igor Lukšić.

New Zealand is expanding its representation in the Balkan Region through new accreditations to Albania, Montenegro and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (hereinafter referred to as Macedonia) from its Embassy in Rome.

On 23 June, Minister McCully met with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić in Belgrade. It was the first official visit by a New Zealand minister to Serbia since the normalisation of diplomatic ties between the two countries in the 1990s.

In May this year the New Zealand Embassy will be commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the battles of Monte Cassino, and more generally, New Zealand's involvement in the Italian Campaign of the Second World War.

The New Zealand exhibition for commemoration and peace, Legato, forms part of the commemorations for the seventieth anniversary of the end of the battles for Cassino. Over 150 artworks and photographs by 37 New Zealanders will be on display in two venues in Cassino. The exhibition is also being supported by the Ngati Ranana culture group from London.